Steve Jobs, one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time, would look in the mirror each day and ask himself if this were the last day of his life, would he want to spend it doing what he was about to do? “Whenever the answer has been ‘no’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something,” he said.

What has your answer been for the last few days? I try to learn and apply something new every day that can bring me closer to at least one of my goals. I figure if you can learn one small thing each day, and then take one action to apply what you’ve learned, then over the course of a year, you will be 365 small steps closer to your vision. Learning never stops. You should be prepared to add and apply new knowledge every single day!

Here are some tips to ensure that your mind is in peak condition to keeping dreaming and believing:

1. Find your purpose and live with intensity. Finding out what you were created for and working towards that purpose is the key to starting life’s journey. It may take you time and several attempts at different endeavors, but keep at it and you will find your life purpose! What are you good at? What do you like? These are pointers in the right direction. Don’t give up until you find it! Also, our life purpose does not stay static but modifies and changes with time and life situations, so be aware of that and aim to live a purposeful life each day with intensity and meaning in each task and situation.

2. Face your fears and do it anyway. In anything new that you do you, you are bound to face some fears. I had to face my fear of failure writing this book, but I accepted that it was a new challenge and backed myself with the right mindset, and people, and did it anyway. If it weren’t for that, you would not be reading this right now. What fears are you not facing and in that, depriving your family, friends and the wider community of being richly blessed by your bravery?

3. Exercise your willpower. It does take willpower to get ahead in life! I can’t tell you how many things in life I have achieved by sheer willpower! Sure you need to do your homework and have a good idea, but achieving any dream requires tons of willpower.

4. Aim high and believe in yourself. Aim for the stars—if you miss that, at least you will land on the moon! If you don’t believe yourself, no one else will. Set your expectations high and go for it! Don’t listen to the others around you. There will always be deserters but look for a few people who will encourage and support you. But for that to happen you will have to believe in yourself.

5. Gain knowledge and ask for wisdom. I read a lot and do courses, and I have gone back to university three times. I have learned to ask others for advice and also ask God for heavenly wisdom.

6. Use your time wisely. Our time here on this earth is so precious and minutes tick away into hours and hours into days. Always evaluate what you are doing with your time. Is the activity that is taking up your time yielding results? I don’t just mean financial results, but is it enhancing your life in any way? I have sometimes had to give up activities, businesses, friendships and even TV, as it was not going to yield me the results I was after.

7. Live with integrity and demand a high standard from yourself. Integrity is like loyalty—you can’t demand it from others without having it yourself. Integrity is so precious it will make up for lack of knowledge or skills, and when you live to a high standard it makes you sought-after, valuable and irreplaceable. I have got involved with many businesses based on these two traits. All my knowledge and skills would be nothing without integrity and a high standard that I set myself in all my endeavors.

8. Find a social cause. Social injustice is everywhere around us, so find a cause that suits your lifestyle and personality and invest some time and, if possible, money in it. It will not just do wonders for your soul but will keep you on track with a positive mindset.

Blessings and live well—outrageously well!